About Us

About Us

Fuller Psychological and Family Services (FPFS) is the clinical training and community mental health outreach arm of the Fuller Graduate School of Psychology. We are located on the campus of Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California. Fuller’s School of Psychology was the first clinical psychology professional school in the United States established in a theological seminary, and in 1974 became the first seminary-based psychology school to receive American Psychological Association accreditation. The clinic opened in November 1964 as the “Pasadena Community Counseling Center,” a year before the Fuller Graduate School of Psychology opened.

Click here for more about the history of the Fuller Graduate School of Psychology and FPFS.

Integration

One way in which FPFS is unique is that its very existence is predicated upon treating mind, body, and spirit in an integrated manner. Simply put, this means that people are more than just physical beings. It also means that psychological symptoms such as depression and anxiety often manifest as physical symptoms such as fatigue or pain. Further, it means that our spiritual health can impact and be impacted by our physical and psychological symptoms. These beliefs are inextricably linked to the establishment and ongoing vision of FPFS, a vision strongly influenced by both the Fuller Graduate School of Psychology and Fuller Theological Seminary.

It is from these roots that FPFS has grown to encompass and treat clients from a variety of spiritual and religious traditions. Our student therapists and licensed therapists are trained to integrate issues of faith into treatment in a sensitive manner. Sometimes this means issues of faith are salient concerns during therapy. Often it means that psychological and physical symptoms or interventions are focused on and issues of faith are not directly addressed. Regardless of what the therapy addresses directly or indirectly, our therapists believe that people should be viewed and treated holistically – mind, body, and spirit – and that therapy provides an opportunity for each client to safely explore what the integration of these three dimensions of their being means for him/her.

FPFS Today

FPFS therapists provide thousands of hours of therapy and assessment services each year to hundreds of clients in Pasadena, Los Angeles, and surrounding communities. Most of our therapists are students from the Fuller Graduate School of Psychology’s Clinical Psychology Program and Marriage and Family Therapy Program. They are closely supervised by a network of licensed professionals employed by FPFS to help ensure they operate in an effective, safe, and ethical manner. In this way, FPFS contributes to the development of future mental health professionals while also addressing the mental health needs of local communities.

FPFS therapists provide therapy services to individuals ( children, adolescents, and adults), couples, families, and groups, to address a variety of symptoms associated with issues including but not limited to anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties, trauma, guilt, and bereavement. Additionally, a unique benefit that FPFS offers is the provision of psychotherapy services in five languages: Spanish, Korean, Mandarin, Cantonese, and English, to reflect the significant diversity present in the communities we serve.

FPFS also provides personality and neuropsychological assessment services. Personality assessment can help you understand why you think, feel, and act as you do. Personality assessment results can be used to help you improve your relationships, understand your strengths, and help you identify opportunities for improvement. Neuropsychological assessment can help detect the presence of neurodevelopmental disorders, which usually occur during childhood but also manifest in adults. These disorders include but are not limited to ADD/ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, learning disorders, intellectual disabilities, dyslexia, processing issues, depression, and anxiety. Our neuropsychological assessment services have helped hundreds of parents better understand the uniqueness of their children, and in the process helped parents get the support they need to help their children thrive.

Finally, because FPFS utilizes beginning students, advanced students, and licensed clinicians, we are able to provide therapy and assessment services at affordable rates to fit your particular situation.